__________________Illegitimi non carborundum!Tell someone you love them today, because life is short...but shout it at them in German because life is also terrifying and confusing.So much adventure, you can hear the theme from National Geographic playing in the background... ANY WAY YOU CAN!http://youtu.be/Gg_G-NeSmW0

So I'm pretty new to riding and am told there's a nice beginners dirt /off road ride out near the army bombing range in South head, near Auckland, New Zealand. I am further told that if there's a red flag at the gate and the gate is shut, then the army are bombing and you cannot enter - seems clear so far....

So I get there and the gate is open and even has an "open" sign on it ......... but there's also a red flag ???? - they probably forgot to remove the flag......... Seemed like a good idea at the time to continue on

So I have a great ride around the place and find a nice spot for lunch by an inlet .......

I'm just ready to head off after lunch when an explosion rocks my little world to the extent that I felt my lungs compressing, once I stopped shaking I took the following video (click on image and excuse the french).

Safe to say that just the red flag alone means they are using the range

Trying to walk the bike on those bits of sleeper sticking out was a bad idea as the space between the sleepers on the first 5 or so is perfect for riding it over, then the next one is just not wide enough (thankfully) to swallow the front wheel..and just wide enough to jam it solid... That X gets heavy real quick when you are trying to lift it and move it back with a river below the rusted deck of the bridge reminding you where you are going if you screw up...

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What good am I, if I know and don’t do, If I see and don’t say - Bob Dylan

Went out on a short little jaunt on my own in the desert close to Ouarzazete in Morocco. Happily bumbling along the gravel tracks when I came to this soft looking patch of sand. I can cross that... bad idea. Took three hours for me to get the bike out. had to drag it on its side over the surface of the mud for three metres to harder ground. Not doing that again (alone) some things are much more fun when shared.